‘Narcos’ Location Scout Found Murdered in Mexico

Sad news today out of Mexico, where it appears a location scout for the popular Netflix series Narcoswas found shot to death earlier this week. Carlos Muñoz Portal, who had previously worked on high-profile projects such as Sicario and Spectre, was reportedly looking at possible locations for the upcoming season of the Netflix series, which is said to be focusing on the infamous Juarez cartel. Despite the lag between when Portal’s body was discovered and when the news was reported by industry publications, little progress has been made in providing any firm details on the crime.

As part of the coverage in Variety, Netflix released a statement offering their sympathy to Portal’s family and providing a quick update on the investigation:

We are aware of the passing of Carlos Muñoz Portal, a well-respected location scout, and send our condolences to his family. The facts surrounding his death are still unknown as authorities continue to investigate.

Julio Astillero, a writer for Mexican newspaper La Jornada, also shared the news on social media alongside a photo of the late Portal:

As noted in Variety, the particular region that Portal was scouting is one of the most violent in Mexico, with 182 reported murders occurring in July of this year. Variety also notes that authorities are having trouble piecing together the circumstances of Portal’s death, given the lack of witnesses, but that investigations are ongoing. The death of Portal closely follows the tragic accident that took the life of stunt driver Joi “SJ” Harris on the set of Deadpool 2, perhaps raising questions about whether film and television productions are doing everything they can to keep their crews safe.

Expect to hear more from Netflix in the days and weeks to come on how (if) this will affect production on the next season of Narcos, but for now, a family and a production company will mourn the loss of a loved one.